What do editors do?

Editors aren’t all the same, and they don’t all do the same thing. In fact, there is a really broad range of different jobs that all carry the “editor” tag. Understanding the difference is very important because knowing what editors do can be the difference between “money well spent” and “money wasted”.

There are a few specific kinds of editors that all hang out in the same general space, so I’ll cover some of these editors first.

1. Copyeditors;

2. Developmental editors;

3. Line editors;

4. Alpha and/or beta readers;

5. Content editors.

Much like buying a car or picking a movie to go to, you want to make sure that you have a decent understanding of what you’re getting yourself into and what things will wind up costing.

What do copyeditors do?

A copyeditor tends to have a fairly narrow remit. They primarily focus on the grammar, syntax, word choice, and ensure that whatever it is that they’re editing reads properly. If we are talking about copyediting academic work (journal submissions for example), copyeditors make sure that style guides are adhered to.

Chicago, APA, MLA, ACS, and so on, are all different types of style guides. They have different rules that they follow and are for different kinds of publications. For example, the Chicago Manual of Style is one of the most broadly used style guides in the US. The ACS Style Guide is published by the American Chemical Society and is for largely used for what we’d consider the “hard sciences”.

Does your book have parts that are ambiguous that need clarification? A copyeditor will find them. Do you have some inconsistencies in the way that something is spelled or capitalized? A copyeditor will find them.

Copyeditors are very through—they will make sure that you’ve dotted your i’s and crossed your t’s.

What do copyeditors charge? Well, it depends. Copyeditors range in terms of experience and demand, and while one copyeditor may charge $0.02/word another might charge $0.04.

“Chicago, APA, MLA, ACS, and so on, are all different types of style guides. They have different rules that they follow and are for different kinds of publications.”

What influences an editor’s costs?

As noted above, an editor’s costs might be related to their experience. A new editor might charge less than $0.02/word (though this is a fairly average cost) in order to get experience at the cost of money. A very seasoned and in-demand editor may charge $0.04/word (or more) because working with you would cut into their free time and that comes at a premium.

In my opinion there are two good questions to ask an editor: “What are your rates” and “Do you do test edits”. The first question is pretty straightforward, but the second question will give you a very good sense of what you are paying for.

Always remember that editing is a service and much like any service, the cheaper the service the more likely it is that you’re not going to get something great.

What do developmental editors do?

A developmental editor is quite different from a copyeditor. Whereas a copyeditor is usually employed at the end of the writing process, and the main focus is generally on fixing errors and oversights, a developmental editor is usually hired during the production of the book.

You can consider a developmental editor to be more of a writing tool than the average “editor”. Developmental editors focus on things like whether your book is achieving what it intends to or if the tone and the flow of the story are working.

If you’re stuck in the writing process and need to figure out how to get your character from A to B, a developmental editor would be who you would want to talk to. Sometimes developmental editing can be called “substantive editing” or “content editing” and with so many different terms, remember that you should always ensure that you clearly understand what it is that this editor can do for you.

More importantly, you need to know what you need for your book. If you feel that you only need help with a specific part of your book, then be clear with the editor that that is what you expect.

What does a developmental edit cost?

Generally speaking, these edits are paid by the hour or by the project (though for smaller projects an editor might just charge a per-page rate). While it is rare, you may see substantive editing on a per word rate (somewhere in the $0.07–$0.1/word range), but more often than not, you’ll see it as a flat hourly rate. The range here is significant, usually based on experience, and can be in the $40–150/hour range.

A developmental edit can be quite expensive—that’s why it’s very important to have a clear sense of what you need. For this, alpha and beta readers can be really valuable (we’ll discuss those below).

What do line editors do?

Line editors get their names because they go “line by line” and pay a great deal of attention to the text. They examine word choice/order, what tropes and clichés might be used, but they don't tend to focus on the story writ large. When a book is put into the hands of a line editor, structure, story, and other significant issues should really have already been sorted.

A line editor tends to be much more focused on the structure of your writing than on spelling mistakes, and will apply the K.I.S.S. principle in their edits to make sure that your work isn’t overly wordy. Why use ten words when you can use four?

Copyeditors and line editors are not really the same, but you can often get one to do the other job (though you’ll need to discuss this desire with your editor in advance).

“Line editors get their names because they go ‘line by line’ and pay a great deal of attention to the text.”

Are line edits expensive?

Because of the time investment, line edits are usually in the range of double what a copyedit would cost. This is to say, you can expect standard rates to range between $0.04–$0.10/word. Line edits are expensive, but they tend to have a significant impact on the overall state of the book as they focus on tightening up the language choices and prose.

What do alpha readers do?

Alpha and beta readers both act in very similar ways, the “alpha” and “beta” reflecting the stage of the read through. Generally speaking, the alpha reader will help the author to identify and fix major issues (things like plot holes, character inconsistencies, etc.) and tend to approach the project as a writer might. In a sense, they’re a combination reader/writer that helps to smooth out rough edges in a book.

After the alpha read

Any questions that an alpha reader has after there have finished should probably be addressed in the edit. You don’t want your readers to leave with unanswered questions (unless those questions are intentional).

After the alpha reader is finished, the author would then revise the novel based on that feedback.

What are beta readers?

Beta readers, on the other hand, approach work from the point of view of the reader and will provide feedback from the point of view of a reader after the post-alpha reader revision. They don’t get bogged down with things like word choice, and will focus on things like whether characters are compelling and relatable, whether or not actions and events make sense, and also look broadly at motivations and the story.

The beta reader is pivotal for a novel because it gives the author an “as-close-to-a-normal-reader-as-possible” reaction while still being able to make adjustments and changes based on how a reader might react to their work.

Alpha/beta reader costs

Unlike most editors, it is possible to get these services without a financial investment. Lots of authors will do alpha or beta reads, but will often expect this to be reciprocated when they are in the alpha/beta read stages of their own books. If you are going to be asking someone to do the work for free, you need to reciprocate.

Writing communities are usually tightly knit and you don’t want people to start assuming that you’re selfish. All writers are to some degree or another self-interested, they want their work published after all, but selfish is very different. If you aren’t going to be able to reciprocate (for whatever reason) it’s incumbent on you to make sure that is very clear. Some people will still do the read regardless, but other people may not have time to donate.

Another option that is available and is far more straightforward is to just hire someone to do the read. This comes with the associated cost. The primary factor here is your word count. If you have a 60,000 word book, this might be a few hundred dollars. At 150,000 words, this might lean closer to a thousand. Make sure that you do your homework and compare prices.

“The beta reader is pivotal for a novel because it gives the author an ‘as-close-to-a-normal-reader-as-possible’ reaction while still being able to make adjustments and changes based on how a reader might react to their work.”

What do content editors do?

Content editors are a bit of an odd duck in this list. They have similar skills and do similar things to the aforementioned editors, but in a more specific context. Content editors tend to focus on publishing in traditional and online media. If you’ve ever read a company’s blog, there’s a good chance that a content editor has had a hand in what you’ve read.

These editors will do the planing, research, and writing for websites (and also for normal publications). They often work in tandem with a content manager or a content strategist who has a specific vision for what they’re trying to achieve.

In a sense, they’re more of a combination writer/editor role, and this is one of the major differences between a content writer and a copyeditor, for example.

What do content editors cost?

While all of the editors noted above can be careers, a lot of the editors tend to focus more on freelance contracts. Novels are not usually something that the average author can put out on the regular, and so many editors tend to have a very diverse pool of clients.

Content editors can be employed by companies as a salaried position and that salary can vary wildly based on experience and who you are working for. If you’re looking to hire a freelance content editor, make sure that you know what you need and make sure that they know what they’re talking about.

Because programs like ChatGPT and other AI programs have started to be used regularly, you want to make sure that your contracted editor isn’t just getting an AI bot to write your content.

Do your homework!

What editor do you need?

The most important thing that you can do to protect yourself (it is your money after all) is to communicate your needs to your potential editor. Trust your gut and if you feel like an editor might not be aligning with what you need, don’t hire them. If you find someone that you like working with, that’s a great relationship to have in your back pocket.

Remember to ask for test edits—this will give you a very good sense of what you can expect from the work. Sometimes though (for example, when you’re hiring an alpha or beta reader) you may not be able to get a sample, so reviews and word of mouth can be very important.

A truly skilled editor can have an immense impact on your work, and can even be the difference between getting an agent or not. You should carefully consider how much you value the potential success of your work. Not everyone wants an editor, but people who use editors will often have far better results.

Good luck finding an editor.